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This week in class, we spent a lot of time discussing homeless people..? Yeah. Homeless people. I didn't even think I could spend a whole week talking about them, but I did and I'm not gonna lie I really enjoyed it. We read a series of articles for homework all with different ideas and then in class we started watching the film, the soloist.
Here are my opinions on each reading and the movie:
Million-Dollar Murray: This reading was an excerpt from a book written by Malcolm Gladwell. First of all, I must say that I really enjoy Gladwell's writing style. I am reading "Outliers" for my BLA and I'm really liking it. This reading was Gladwell telling a story about Murray Barr, a homeless man with enormous potential. He was a homeless man who under close supervision had the potential to become a functioning member of society. Gladwell's argument was that just giving a couple bucks to homeless people won't solve the problem long term. The point is that it is better to SOLVE homelessness rather than MANAGE it. Gladwell talked about a scenario where apartments were given to homeless people as long they followed the rules. This sparked an idea for a company that I could start. Basically, it's gonna be a company (funded by, I don't know who yet) where homeless people will come in and get an apartment. Along with this apartment, they will start attending classes where they learn everyday skills like interview skills, using computers, etc. The company would partner with some other organization that would provide jobs for the homeless people. Once the homeless people start making some money, a little bit of each paycheck will be deducted for "rent". As more and more money is accumulated, the cost of rent will be higher and higher until the "no longer homeless people" are capable of living on their own. I honestly think this could be the best idea ever and I could become super rich from a company like this but let's be honest, it will never happen. Not all homeless people want to be helped, so that is what makes this situation so difficult.
Dumpster Diving: First of all, groooossss. I can never ever think about digging through dumpsters to get food. However, I gotta owe it to this guy, his writing style is really good. It's crazy how he can make an informative article from something as weird as dumpster diving. In a way, I felt bad for this guy but at the same time I was like "hey, whatever works for you". This article was actually really helpful if I were to ever become homeless. I learned that canned foods are almost always good, and good food is often thrown away by college students around breaks and holidays. So, if I were to ever be in the position to dumpster dive, I know that I can rely on this article. But, I think it's crazy how in depth and almost "professional" this guy is and he gets dysentery about once a month. That is something that I would NOT be able to handle. Like I said. GROSS.
The Soloist: This movie is seriously hitting some spots. It is an amazing film! First of all, can we talk about what a great actor Jamie Foxx is? I can only imagine the skill that is required to play a schizophrenic. I think this movie is trying to prove that not everybody who lives on the streets is an alcoholic or drug addict and it's wrong to think like that. This movie shows very clearly that some of the most talented people can end up homeless because of certain circumstances. For me, I felt like this movie was another classic example of "don't judge a book by its cover". Because, when you see a person on the streets you're automatically like "it's their own fault" or "not my problem". But this movie shows that it's often not anybody's fault and some of the most talented people will end up on the streets. Like I said, I am feeling really moved by this film and I can't wait to see the ending!
Here are my opinions on each reading and the movie:
Million-Dollar Murray: This reading was an excerpt from a book written by Malcolm Gladwell. First of all, I must say that I really enjoy Gladwell's writing style. I am reading "Outliers" for my BLA and I'm really liking it. This reading was Gladwell telling a story about Murray Barr, a homeless man with enormous potential. He was a homeless man who under close supervision had the potential to become a functioning member of society. Gladwell's argument was that just giving a couple bucks to homeless people won't solve the problem long term. The point is that it is better to SOLVE homelessness rather than MANAGE it. Gladwell talked about a scenario where apartments were given to homeless people as long they followed the rules. This sparked an idea for a company that I could start. Basically, it's gonna be a company (funded by, I don't know who yet) where homeless people will come in and get an apartment. Along with this apartment, they will start attending classes where they learn everyday skills like interview skills, using computers, etc. The company would partner with some other organization that would provide jobs for the homeless people. Once the homeless people start making some money, a little bit of each paycheck will be deducted for "rent". As more and more money is accumulated, the cost of rent will be higher and higher until the "no longer homeless people" are capable of living on their own. I honestly think this could be the best idea ever and I could become super rich from a company like this but let's be honest, it will never happen. Not all homeless people want to be helped, so that is what makes this situation so difficult.
Dumpster Diving: First of all, groooossss. I can never ever think about digging through dumpsters to get food. However, I gotta owe it to this guy, his writing style is really good. It's crazy how he can make an informative article from something as weird as dumpster diving. In a way, I felt bad for this guy but at the same time I was like "hey, whatever works for you". This article was actually really helpful if I were to ever become homeless. I learned that canned foods are almost always good, and good food is often thrown away by college students around breaks and holidays. So, if I were to ever be in the position to dumpster dive, I know that I can rely on this article. But, I think it's crazy how in depth and almost "professional" this guy is and he gets dysentery about once a month. That is something that I would NOT be able to handle. Like I said. GROSS.
The Soloist: This movie is seriously hitting some spots. It is an amazing film! First of all, can we talk about what a great actor Jamie Foxx is? I can only imagine the skill that is required to play a schizophrenic. I think this movie is trying to prove that not everybody who lives on the streets is an alcoholic or drug addict and it's wrong to think like that. This movie shows very clearly that some of the most talented people can end up homeless because of certain circumstances. For me, I felt like this movie was another classic example of "don't judge a book by its cover". Because, when you see a person on the streets you're automatically like "it's their own fault" or "not my problem". But this movie shows that it's often not anybody's fault and some of the most talented people will end up on the streets. Like I said, I am feeling really moved by this film and I can't wait to see the ending!
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